When I Was Your Man
by jkensington16
Summary: This is what I think made gay marriage "illegal." This is just a one shot so don't get excited about a sequel. I wrote this after two glasses of wine so my mind is kind of foggy.


In a land, not far from here, lived a King and Queen with a son, Prince Charming. From the time Charming was a boy, his parents told him he was destined to become a great leader of their country. As Charming grew, so did his family's kingdom. In a year's time, they had gained three thousand acres of land. Not only was the kingdom a great one, it was also respected and loved by all who lived in it. The King and Queen were loved throughout the kingdom, as well as beyond the kingdom's boundaries.

But, with time came people who did not agree with the King's rules and restrictions. With that came a rebellion. Thousands of peasants marched through the city's gates and began to set things a flame. The King ordered his army to stop the rebel forces from further destroying his city. With a war on the tip of every sword, many chose to flee the city. Not by tens, or hundreds, but thousands. Fleeing from the terror of the impending war. However, the King's army arrived at the site of the rebel camp. After a short struggle, the rebels soon surrendered. With the thousands of rebels marching back to where they came from, the city seemed to be safe. But the population was slow to grow.

Many thought that if the kingdom was that venerable to be attacked by peasants, that they would not return. While many who fled returned, many did not. The King and Queen realized this and soon enforced new laws and regulations. They also realized how weak their kingdom walls were and called for their head architect, Jonathan Bell, to build them a new wall and to strengthen their castle. Jonathan gladly accepted and soon began work on the castle, and sent his workers to the wall, giving them orders on how to rebuild the walls; making sure they tried their best from being attacked by rebel forces while working. He told them to tear down and rebuild the wall in sections, not as a whole.

With construction underway, Prince Charming was forced to attend a tutor who would teach him about the joys and sorrows of kingdoms past. Charming was not interested with learning of the past, but more of the present and future.

"Will I ever find someone to marry?" he would think to himself. Charming spent most of his tutoring time gazing out the window to the festive streets below.

With Christmas approaching, the townspeople were decorating their houses and streets with beautiful banners and confetti. Charming longed to go out and see the sights of the streets below, but was never allowed outside the castle in fear the rebels would return and kidnap him, or worse. Yet, Charming always tried to escape to the outside world.

Time and time again, Charming would try to bribe the guards of the main door to allow him to go outside. Bribes such as his crown, money, jewels, or even his most praised possession; his necklace made by his godmother. But no guard would take the offers. Charming would become angry and run about the castle, yelling at the birds flying past the windows, and the clouds floating so carelessly in the crystal blue sky, almost mocking the Prince. Finally, after he ran all around the castle, he would wander to his room and draw. Charming drew all sorts of things. Flowers just like the ones on the dinner table; people, mostly only guards and the occasional visitor; and the sky, both night and day.

Charming was very good at drawing, but when he reached fourteen, he was forced to be trained as a knight, just like his father. Charming loved being trained, not because he was learning to protect his family and future kingdom, but because he was allowed outside with his master.

Charming was trained as a knight until he reached eighteen, when his father gave him the freedom Charming had been waiting for, for eighteen years; he was allowed outside the castle without a security detail. His father told him he trusted Charming enough to make the right decision and he also had confidence in his son to defend himself if the rebels attempted to kidnap him.

In his new found freedom, he discovered many, many new things. He found that many other people drew much like he did and he would often discuss with them the form and colors he used. He discovered that often times, people would go to a place called "The Market" where they could purchase certain things he was used to always being available to him, such as apples, grapes, oranges, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, celery, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, milk, cheese, butter, and many, many other things. Charming could not believe his eyes. The market was a vast place where anyone could make money. Charming decided he would try to sell some of his paintings at The Market.

One day, while trying to sell his paintings, Charming spotted a young man, about fifteen or sixteen in age, walking about handing out pieces of paper. A man walked past him who had grabbed one of the pieces of paper.

"Sir, what do you have there?" the Prince asked.

"Good, sire, good-day! Why this? This is a flyer telling us about Jonathan Bell's business. It seems as though he is beginning to feel the effects of these times. It's a shame," the man continued on. "Jonathan is such an impressive architect. He always seems to know what to do. Of course you already know that your highness," the man finished.

"Please, I am nothing more than a Prince. My father is still King and my mother Queen. I will not be 'your highness' until I find a spouse. Poor Mr. Bell," the Prince concluded. The pair exchanged their good-byes and the man went on his way. Prince Charming could not keep from thinking of a way he could help his father's friend in these troubling times.

After a successful day at The Market, Prince Charming mounted his horse and was off to the castle when he had a great idea on how he could help Jonathan Bell.

"I'll just have him reconstruct my room," he thought to himself.

When he arrived home, however, there was a grim feeling in the air. Charming could hear people crying upstairs and when he journeyed up them, he was met by two guards.

"Prince, your mother has asked for you," one guard stated.

"What's going on," Prince Charming asked, thoroughly concerned for his family.

"Your mother is dying," the other guard muttered under his breath.

Shock, fear, pain, anger filled the Prince's body and mind. Tears formed in his eyes as the guards took him to his mother. When he saw her, his heart broke beyond repair as the women who was once so full of life and joy, was so pale and fragile. Her once bright green eyes were sunken and dull. As he crossed the room to her side, his mother's face lit up a tad. Her dull eyes became bright and happy again.

"Hello Charming. How was The Market? Did you make any money?" she asked as she grabbed for his hand.

"Mother! What is happening?" the Prince quickly responded, ignoring the deflection questions.

"Answer my questions first before I answer yours. Besides, I have a feeling you already know what is wrong," she replied softly.

With a heavy heart and hesitation, the Prince responded to his mother's questions with a shaky voice.

"The Market was good, mother. All of my paintings were sold and I made just over ten flats."

"That's good, Charming. You always were such a good artist. Now to answer your question, I'm dying. I didn't want to bother you because I knew you were trying your best with your art and The Market," she responded, almost with a hint of apology in her voice. The Prince, baffled, could only cry. He held his mother's hand as he cried while his mother tried to calm him. Soon after, his father joined them in the room. When he reached his wife and Queen, she took his hand and whisper something to which the King replied, "of course." Next, she squeezed Prince Charming's hand and whispered, "Always keep your head held high. Remember Charming, you are my son and I am your mother. I will always love as I have loved you before. Stay strong for your father and your kingdom." She kissed his hand and then his forehead before she closed her eyes and grew still and cold.

After the death of his mother, Charming joined the King's Army to help protect the kingdom. His father had become quiet and sad, barely leaving his bedroom, leaving the kingdom in Prince Charming's hands. Yet, he was not King. Still a Prince.

Charming rode into town one day in his suit of armor, on his way to battle when he spotted a beautiful sight. So beautiful, in fact, that the Prince had to jump off his horse, take off his helmet and stare, no, gaze. He had to stop to ask a local who it was.

"Oh that. That's Mr. Right. Mr. Bell's nephew," she replied.

"Bell? As in Jonathan Bell?" the Prince asked perplexed.

"Yes, your highness. Isn't he a sight?"

"He most certainly is," the Prince responded, stuck in a gaze.

The girl kept on talking, but Prince Charming was too busy gazing upon this man by the name of Mr. Right. His auburn hair shined in the afternoon sun. His bright green eyes could pierce even the hardest of hearts. Much like the Prince's mother's eyes could. His perfectly tanned skin was the perfect combination with his red lips and enchanting smile.

"I will get to know this man," he thought to himself.

Prince Charming walked over to Mr. Right to introduce himself. Charming could feel his hands get sweaty and suddenly he felt the need to throw up. But he powered through the feelings and sweat. He walk right to him and said,

"Hello, I'm Prince Charming. You must be Mr. Right, correct?"

"Hello Prince Charming, it's nice to meet you. Yes, I am Mr. Right. I believe you know my uncle, Mr. Bell," he responded with a soft, sweet voice, yet full of confidence.

"Yes, Mr. Bell is the man who rebuilt the kingdom wall and reinforced the castle. But, I assume you already knew that."

"Prince Charming, you sure do know my family. Why did you introduce yourself if you already knew so much?" Mr. Right laughed back.

"Because I don't know _you_," Prince Charming tossed back with a wink. The pair talked a few minutes more before Prince Charming was called into battle.

"When I return, will you meet me at the King's Army Ball?" Prince Charming asked.

"Of course Prince Charming. I would be honored," Mr. Right answered.

And so, Prince Charming left for a battle that would last one year, eight months, two weeks, and three days. Many lives were lost and many battles were won for both sides, the Rebels and the King's Army. But in the end, the King's Army prevailed and defeated the Rebels once again.

During the time Prince Charming was away, Mr. Right and him would write letters to one another, expressing their longing for each other. Upon his return, Prince Charming was greeted my townsfolk and his father. And Mr. Right. The pair ran to each other and embraced, both crying tears of joy.

As promised, they attended the King's Army Ball. Charming, dressed in his navy blue and white piped tuxedo anxiously awaited the arrival of his date. When the clock struck 9, Charming ran to the door when he heard them open. He was awe struck at the sight before him. Dressed in a white tuxedo with red accents, Mr. Right entered the foyer, greeting Charming with a simple wave.

"You look amazing!" Prince Charming exclaimed.

"Prince Charming, did you have this tuxedo specially designed for me? I can't seem to find a tag on this anywhere. And it was just sitting on my doorstep, wrapped so nicely I may add," Mr. Right accused.

"I knew white was your color! And the red accents really compliment your hair. Which looks very nice, Mr. Right," Charming admitted with a smirk.

"Well, we must be off Charming. The Ball isn't going to dance itself," Mr. Right added with a wink.

The pair went off to the ball in a horse drawn carriage. The whole time, Prince Charming was gazing at Mr. Right, still is shock that he was all his. Prince Charming felt so lucky, but was very nervous as to what he planned for the evening. He was going to ask Mr. Right to marry him.

Upon arriving at the King's Army Ball, Prince Charming helped Mr. Right out of the white carriage, then kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Save me a dance." and ran off. Stunned, Mr. Right walked into the ball, alone and was immediately greeted by "fans" and was ambushed by gossipers, asking him all sorts of questions.

After escaping the mob, Mr. Right went straight to the bar and ordered a shot of vodka, a little hurt at the disappearance of his date and lover. Feeling a tap on his shoulder he turned, only to be greeted by a photographer.

"Sir, would you mind?" he asked, gesturing to his camera.

"Not at all," Mr. Right stated.

The bright flash of the camera caught Mr. Right off guard, but had to laugh, picturing what his face looks like at that moment. After the photographer shook his hand and went about his business, Mr. Right asked the bartender for another shot.

"This is going to be a long evening," he said before taking the second shot of happiness.

Just then, the music stopped and someone tapped on the microphone.

"Excuse me. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to my father's ball in honor of the army's victory against the Rebels. I just wanted to introduce you to my lover and friend, Mr. Right."

A bright light searches the crowd until it lands on Mr. Right, who is already on his fourth shot of vodka. Embarrassed and suspicious, Mr. Right waves to the crowd and Prince Charming. Seeing that Mr. Right had become red in the face, Prince Charming adds, "Maybe you should lay off the alcohol and join me on stage, dear," to which the crowd chuckles as a whole.

Mr. Right takes his fifth shot of vodka and, more or less, walks to the stage. After getting help ascending the stairs, he is handed a microphone.

"You always know how to make people laugh, love," Mr. Right slurs.

"Yes, well, it doesn't take much to make people laugh when they've been drinking as much as you have," Charming adds with a wink.

The crowd erupts into laughter and is joined with Mr. Right and followed by Prince Charming. While Mr. Right is laughing, a man walks on stage and hands Prince Charming a small black box. This causes Mr. Right and the crowd to stop laughing almost immediately.

"What's in the box, Charming?" Mr. Right questions.

"You will soon find out, hun. As you all may know, my father has grown old and with my mother having been gone for sometime, my father feels that he is unfit to be King of this great kingdom any further. He has informed me that I need to find someone to marry in order for the kingdom to keep going and stay strong against the Rebels."

Turning back to Mr. Right, Prince Charming takes his hand and says, "Mr. Right, we have been together through so much. A war, a long time apart, and yet we always run to each other. I want to be here for you forever, and I want you to be here, right here, with me forever. Mr. Right, will you do me the honor of being my husband?" Prince Charming asks while he descends to one knee.

Gasps and sighs erupt from the crowd. Mr. Right, shocked and almost catatonic, looks down at the plain gold ring, intertwined with silver and diamonds. Then his gaze switches to Prince Charming. His smile growing bigger and bigger as a gradual smile grows on Mr. Right's face.

"Yes!" Mr. Right exclaims.

The crowd explodes into cheers as Prince Charming puts the ring on Mr. Right's left hand and the pair begins to hug and kiss. They make their way to the dance floor and dance the night away. As the clock strikes 12, Prince Charming looks down at Mr. Right and whispers, "Good morning, fiancé."

With a smile on his face, Mr. Right gazes up at Prince Charming. Their eyes met and they stared at each other. Both so in love with the other, they couldn't imagine life without their soon-to-be spouse.

When the pair reached the castle, Prince Charming heard the clock's bells crash three times. As they entered the castle, King met them, looking excited.

"I have exciting news, Prince Charming!"

"What is it father?" Prince Charming replied, leaning in to hear the news.

"I've arranged for your wedding to be at the King's Hall!"

"The King's Hall?!" Mr. Right exclaimed, ready to jump up and down with excitement.

"Father, that's great!" Prince Charming exclaimed.

"Sir, none of this is necessary," Mr. Right said.

"Son, it is. You are family now. You make my son so happy and I want everything to be perfect for your wedding. Whatever it takes," the King explained.

And so with a venue selected and everything taken care of, Mr. Right and Prince Charming were set to wed.

The wedding happened in a blur for Prince Charming and , the now, Mr. Charming. The flowers smelled great, the candles looked amazing, and the people were cheerful, but all Prince Charming could see was the person he loved standing right in front of him. His green eyes filled with joy and love, much like his mother's. All Prince Charming could do was gaze upon the beautiful sight, his husband.

At the reception, during the first dance, Prince Charming leaned down and whispered into Mr. Charming's ear, "I love you, Mr. _Charming_."

All Mr. Charming could do was nod and kiss Prince Charming's soft, pink lips, afraid his voice would crack because of the Olympus sized lump in his throat.

After the wedding, the kingdom was thriving. The economy boomed, everybody had a job, and people were happy. But happiness comes at a cost.

Years after the wedding, King soon fell ill. Much like Prince Charming's mother had so many years ago. Although King assured everyone, meaning his son and Mr. Charming, that he was alright and could still rule over the greatest kingdom. But in reality, King was dying.

He soon began making arrangements for Mr. Charming and Prince Charming to take over the throne. One cold, rainy night, Mr. Charming was wandering around the castle, still in awe over the majestic arches and hypnotizing stained glass, when he over heard voices coming from a room with closed doors. Mr. Charming would normally just walk past and continue on looking, but something told him he should snoop around a little bit. After all, he was an heir to the throne.

"When I die, tell Mr. Charming first. I want him to be the one to tell my son," was the first and last thing Mr. Charming heard before he backed away from the room with closed doors and stalked back to bed, unsure of what he had exactly heard.

Two weeks later, Mr. Charming was walking around the castle again, only this time in during day, when a tearful guard approached him. The look in his eyes told Mr. Charming enough to know that the fateful day had come. He only nodded and hugged the guard and went off to find Prince Charming, his now orphaned husband.

After Mr. Charming told Prince Charming, the first thing Prince Charming said was, "Why do the people I love keep leaving me?"

"I'm still here," was Mr. Charming's response, to which Prince Charming hugged him and cried. That day, Prince Charming became King Charming and Mr. Charming became Mr. King Charming.

Even after the death of King, the kingdom was still the greatest kingdom in all the land. Best economy, best government, best rulers, best people, and best condition of living.

Four years later, King Charming noticed something off about Mr. King Charming. He wasn't himself. His once piercing green eyes were dull and lifeless. Even his smile had become unconvincing, even though he promised he was fine.

One night, King Charming was working on a new plan to build his love a garden when a guard burst through the doors.

"My King! It's Charming! Quickly!" the guard shouted.

Without a second thought, King Charming dropped his charcoal and ran. Faster than he even known possible, he ran to his chamber only to find Mr. King Charming lying in bed, blood on the ground.

With horrified eyes, King Charming met his lovers' eyes.

"Hi, love," was all Mr. King Charming said, with a genuine smile.

"What is happening?!" the King yelled to no one in particular.

"Come," Charming motioned to the King, "lie with me."

Without another word, a teary eyed King joined his love in bed, hugging the small body lying next to him.

"What happened to you?" the King asked without looking at Charming.

"I'm just sick, that's all," was his half hearted answer.

"Will you get better?" King asked childishly.

After a few moments of silence, Charming looked up at his King; his love, and whispered, "No." And with that, they cried together until Charming drew in his last breath.

Driven by love and hate, King Charming's once golden heart turned black and the kingdom faced terrible times. King Charming made it illegal to marry someone of the same gender out of jealously and fear. And to this day, only 9 states have challenged the King's law and won. More are fighting, but over the years, the King's word has been burned into everybody's brain.

The King knows that this isn't what Mr. Right wanted, but he can't help it. Love, jealously, and hate blurred his once clear mind and chilled his once warm heart.


End file.
